Lobelia plant named ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Lobelia cardinalis  plant characterized by deep purple foliage and tomato red blooms.

Botanical denomination: Lobelia cardinalis.

Variety denomination: ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia and given the cultivar name ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’. Lobelia is in the family Campanulaceae. Lobelia cardinalis ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ originated as a seedling from a sowing of seeds of the species Lobelia cardinalis in a greenhouse at a nursery in Bridgeton, N.J.

Compared to typical plants of the species Lobelia cardinalis, the new cultivar has foliage that is purple in color in spring and green with interveinal green in summer rather than green, is more tolerant of average soils, and exhibits a more vigorous growth habit. The new cultivar can be compared to Lobelia cardinalis cultivar ‘Golden Torch’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,844) which differs from ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ in having new foliage growth that is golden in color and in having a less vigorous growth habit. The new cultivar can also be compared to Lobelia ‘Queen Victoria’ (not patented), which differs from ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ in being a hybrid of unknown origin that has a less vigorous growth habit, purple foliage that does not last as long in the season, and in having a plant habit that flops in a typical garden.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and divisions). Each of the clones exhibited identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division, standard technique, as done in Bridgeton, N.J., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: shows a two year-old plant of Lobelia ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ growing in the ground in full sun in August in Baltimore, Md.

FIG. 2: shows a bloom close-up in August in Baltimore, Md.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Lobelia cultivar based on observations taken in August of a one year-old specimen growing in the ground in a trial bed in full sun with added irrigation in Baltimore, Md. Baltimore is zone 7 on the USDA Hardiness zone map. Temperatures range from a high of 87 degrees F. in August to an average of 44 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Baltimore is 45 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 3 to 9.         -   Size.—60 cm to 100 cm tall from top of the flower to the             ground and 40 to 50 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Upright.         -   Vigor.—Excellent. -   Basal leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosulate.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Dentate (toothed).         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Blade size.—7 cm long on average and 2.5 cm wide.         -   Petiole.—None, sessile.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Leaf color.—Topside, Greyed-Purple N186A with an overlay of             Purple group N79B in the spring to Green 137A in the summer;             bottom side same with an overlay of Purple N77B. -   Cauline leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Oblong lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Toothed.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Blade size.—10 cm to 16 cm long and 3 to 3.5 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on top sides, sparsely pubescent             on veins on bottom side.         -   Petiole.—Sessile.         -   Leaf color.—Topside, Grey-Brown 199B with Greyed-purple 184B             highlights in the spring to Green 137A with areas of Purple             Group N79A interveinally in the summer on the new growth on             the upper protion of the stem, bottom side same.         -   Stem.—60 to 100 cm in length (including peduncle) and an             average of 5 mm in width, color Greyed-Purple 187A, surface             texture glabrous. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—About 5 cm wide and 24 to 33 cm long.         -   Type.—Bracteate spike.         -   Number of flowers per spike.—25 to 55.         -   Number of spikes per flowering season.—10.         -   Peduncle.—50 to 68 cm tall, 8 mm wide at base, Greyed Green             191B with an overlay of Greyed-purple 187A, internodes 2 cm             to 3.5 cm long, sparsely pubescent.         -   Pedicel.—14 mm long, Greyed-Green 194B with an overlay of             Greyed-purple 187B, sparsely pubescent.         -   Bloom period.—Beginning the second week of July through             middle of August in Baltimore, Md.         -   Lastingness.—Each spike blooms for about 5 weeks. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—5 mm wide and 3 cm long.         -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, tubular.         -   Color.—Greyed — Red 181A.         -   Flower type.—Perfect.         -   Shape.—Bilabiate, lower three lobes spreading, upper 2 lobes             recurved.         -   Size.—3.5 cm long and 2 cm wide.         -   Corolla description.—Tube 13 mm long and 5 mm wide, 5 lobes,             lower three cut ⅓ to ⅔ of their length, each 10 mm long and             4 mm wide, elliptic, tip acute, margin entire, glabrous on             both sides, Red 45B on top side and Red 45D on bottom side             with tube portion Red Group 43C on inner surface and Red             Group 43A on outer surface.         -   Calyx description.—Campanulate over ovary with 5 long narrow             lobes around the corolla, each lobe 14 mm long and 1 mm             wide, with 5 lobes, divided ½ way to the base, tip             acuminate, margin entire, glabrous on both sides.             Yellow-Green 144B outside and Yellow-Green 144B tinted             Greyed-Purple 187A on inside lobe tips.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, overall 33 mm long and 3 mm             wide; filaments fused and flattened, encircling style, each             filament 26 mm long and about 1 mm wide, Red 45B on top             third, Red 37B on middle third lightening to White 155B at             the base, anthers fertile, 4 mm long, Greyed-Purple 186B to             maturing to Brown 200A; pollen Yellow 12A.         -   Pistil description.—1 in number, 35 mm long; ovary 7 mm long             and 5 mm wide, Greyed-Yellow 162B; style 30 mm long, Red             53B, stigma Black 202A surrounded by white hairs.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Ovoid capsule.         -   Size.—1 cm wide.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Color.—Brown 200D. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Warty ovoid.         -   Size.—1 mm.         -   Color.—Grey-Brown 199A. -   Pest and disease tolerance: No known pest or disease resistances. 

1. A new and distinct Lobelia plant as herein illustrated and described. 